Michelin X Tour vs Michelin Defender
Michelin has been in the business of making high-quality tires since 1889, and in that time, they managed to become one of the world’s most famous tire brands. Michelin makes tires for even the least popular parts of the market which means that you can buy a Michelin tire that excels in literally every area, from off-road courses to GP circuits, Michelin has got you covered.
The Michelin X Tour and the Michelin Defender are both fairly well-known Michelin products because they are available in many different sizes and thus fit many different cars. When it comes to choosing your next set of tires, you need to decide what works best for you. This means that you need to value your options depending on the type of surfaces you tend to drive on.
It may be easier to accomplish consistent traction during the summer with a summer tire as it is managing constant traction during the winter with a winter tire. However, if you are not willing to go the extra mile and swap out your tires twice a year, a high-quality all-season tire might just do the trick.
Bottom Line Up Front: Tire Rack has some of the best selection of tires on the planet. They offer a more seamless, low stress buying experience. And since they are an online-only shop, Tire Rack can deliver a better quality product at a lower price compared to other name brands.
Michelin X Tour
Price Check
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A touring tire needs to be able to perform in a myriad of different situations without wearing fast. That is why the Michelin X Tour tire exists as it promises a long tread life, smooth and quiet drive, top-notch safety, and exceptional responsiveness and handling. These are the qualities that tend to decorate all the industry-leading touring tires.
The X Tour tire is strikingly similar to the Michelin Defender because it is based on the Defender tire. However, Michelin has made some changes to the X Tour, at least that is what most people say. Either way, we are going to compare these head-to-head to see if there are any differences between the two.
Michelin Defender
Price Check
Check the price of this tire at the following retailers:
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The Michelin Defender is likely the most successful Michelin touring tire to date, and that is why all great touring tires are matched against it. The Defender brand has been around for quite a while, but Michelin updated this tire not too long ago in order to make it more competitive than before. The internet is brimming with people saying that the Michelin Defender is one of the best touring tires on the market, and we are going to tell you why that is.
Some say that the Michelin X Tour tire is more or less the same as the Michelin Defender tire and that Michelin only rebranded the tire to satisfy Costco members wanting more special treatment. However, it seems like this is not entirely the case as some differences between the two are indeed worth mentioning.
What Are The Features Of The Michelin X Tour Tire?
The Michelin X Tour is a festival of clever engineering which means that the tire is backed by an endless list of Michelin proprietary technologies that make the tire shine in almost every scenario. The Michelin MaxTouch Construction technology is designed to evenly distribute the contact forces across the entire surface of the tire which leads to increased levels of stability and ultimately a longer tread life.
The Michelin IntelliSipe technology makes sure that the number of sipes on the tire is optimized. This leads to superior levels of traction no matter the outside weather or temperature. In addition to making the tire stick better, the IntelliSipe technology also makes sure that the tread lasts for longer which perfectly coexists with the aforementioned MaxTouch Construction technology.
Michelin is proud to advertise that the X Tour tire uses a special architecture and high-end materials which help to significantly reduce rolling resistance. A lower rolling resistance means that the tire needs less power to rotate which ultimately saves you money on fuel bills. The X Tour is an M+S all-season tire which means that it is rated for both mud and snow.
As mentioned previously, the Michelin X Tour tire is only available through Costco membership programs which means that they are more exclusive as a result. Either way, no one can deny that the X Tour offers quite a few benefits over many of its rivals, but is the difference between the X Tour and the Defender tire even noticeable?
What Are The Features Of The Michelin Defender Tire?
The first benefit of the Michelin Defender is the fact that you can buy them a lot more easily as they are not limited to a certain group of people. The Defender is also an all-terrain M+S tire which means that it is also able to do the dirty work. The Defender is also backed by many Michelin proprietary technologies which indeed seem suspiciously similar to the X Tour, but not entirely so.
The Michelin Defender tire also uses the Michelin MaxTouch Construction which means that it also enables the tire to rack up miles with even weight distribution and even treadwear. However, the Michelin Defender is now also backed by the Michelin EverTread technology that further maximizes the durability of the tire.
The Michelin IntelliSipe technology also finds its way into the Michelin Defender which means that the specially designed edges provide exceptional grip no matter the surface you are driving on. The Defender tire is the gold standard of touring tires, even in the Michelin book, so it’s only just to compare it to every other credible touring tire out there.
It seems like the Defender tire is also available for a wider array of vehicles because the Defender is also being offered for lighter trucks. Michelin also says that the new Defender is a lot more capable when it comes to snow driving, even for the standards of M+S rated tires.
What Is The Difference Between The Michelin X Tour And The Michelin Defender?
The Michelin X Tour and the Michelin Defender definitely are cut from the same cloth, but many people who tried both of these tires are eager to say that there are not the same these days. In order to find out if this is the case, we are going to compare these off-road, on-road, in the snow, comfort-wise, price and warranty-wise, availability-wise, and treadwear-wise.
After all is said and done, we will tell you if they are truly the same, and if not, which one is the better choice over the other, and why.
Off-road Performance: Michelin X Tour Vs Defender
Both the Michelin X Tour and the Michelin Defender are touring tires which means that they are not designed with all-terrain capabilities in mind. However, a touring tire also needs to be able to withstand less than ideal surfaces which typically includes low-quality tarmac and potentially even a gravel road.
In this instance, the Michelin Defender does seem to slightly hold an upper edge thanks to its EverTread technology and because the Defender is a more popular tire for trucks. It’s worth mentioning that both of these are not designed for serious off-roading such as rock climbing, even though they are certified for mud driving.
Winner: Michelin Defender
On-road Performance: Michelin X Tour Vs Defender
A touring tire tends to excel on the road rather than off the road, and that is why Michelin has made sure that both of these are able to maintain traction both in dry and wet conditions. The X Tour and the Defender utilize an almost identical tread and groove design which means that both of them are more than capable of maintaining traction, no matter the weather condition.
Some tests have shown that the X Tour tire seems to be a bit more responsive and better handling, but these are unclear as the tests were not officially confirmed by anyone. It seems like the Michelin X Tour and the Michelin Defender truly are identical when it comes to on-road performance.
Winner: It’s a tie
Snow Performance: Michelin X Tour Vs Defender
Both the Michelin X Tour and the Michelin Defender are M+S rated tires which means that they are both better when compared to non-M+S rated tires, but are not as good as 3PMSF-rated tires. The reality of the matter is that M+S all-season tires are not designed to cope with increased amounts of snow on the road, and that is more or less a fact.
Either way, some tests give the Defender tire an upper edge when it comes to snow as the newer Defender tire supposedly comes with more aggressive bitting edges when compared to the X Tour. As such, the Defender tire takes it in the snow category, but only as far as all-season tires can.
Winner: Michelin Defender
Comfort: Michelin X Tour Vs Defender
Another important aspect of a well-designed touring tire is how comfortable it is on a daily basis. Michelin is known to make some of the quietest tires on the market, and that is why both the X Tour and the Defender have very deep shoes to fill. According to Michelin, the Defender tire does benefit from the so-called Comfort Control Technology that makes the tire more uniform.
This benefits the overall experience because a more uniform tire makes less noise. According to many online sources, this technology was not utilized with the X Tour tire, and that is why the Defender wins this test.
Winner: Michelin Defender
Price And Warranty: Michelin X Tour Vs Defender
Most of us are well aware that Michelin makes some of the most durable tires on the market, but even so, it is a lot more reassuring to know that the tire you rely on also comes with extended warranty coverage. Both the X Tour and the Defender come with the Michelin proprietary Standard Limited 6-year Warranty which covers manufacturing and workmanship defects.
They are also both covered by the Michelin 80,000 mile treadwear warranty. Price-wise, the X Tour is not as available as the Defender which is why these tend to costs a bit more in the real world.
Winner: Michelin Defender
Treadwear And Durability: Michelin X Tour Vs Defender
Both the Michelin X Tour and the Michelin Defender are made to perform for a long time which makes them trustworthy no matter the situation. According to multiple online sources, the Michelin Defender can last a bit longer when compared to the X Tour, but these claims are also not backed by any form of evidence.
As such, there is no clear winner in this segment as both of these are better than most tires, but more or less equal between each other.
Winner: It’s a tie
Availability: Michelin X Tour Vs Defender
This is a segment in which there truly is no comparison as the Michelin Defender tire can be sourced from more or less every credible tire shop in the country. The Michelin X Tour on the other hand was only available through Costco, but according to the latest information, even Costco is unable to get enough of them.
Winner: Michelin Defender
Why Should I Choose The Michelin X Tour Tire Over The Michelin Defender Tire?
- You are a Costco member
- You enjoy exclusivity
Why Should I Choose The Michelin Defender Tire Over The Michelin X Tour Tire?
- More widely available
- Better for off-roading
- More comfortable
- Usually cheaper
Wrap Up
At the end of our Michelin X Tour Vs Defender comparison, we can easily say that the X tour and the Defender are more or less the same. The Michelin Defender is more widely available and is also being offered for trucks while the X Tour is not nearly as available while also being slightly more expensive.
Most of the instances have shown that these two differ slightly, or not at all. Even though Michelin stated that the Defender tire is a superior tire to the X Tour, these two are so similar that you are hardly going to notice the difference even if you put them head-to-head.
One thing is for certain though, and that is that both of these are extremely well-designed touring tires that are likely going to satisfy the needs of most people.
I just priced both tires on the Costco website and the Michelin X-Tour a/s 2 is roughly $170 less than the Michelin Defender for a set of four. Both sets of tires are currently receiving a $150 discount from Costco.